It was the season for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival*, the Osmanthus shrubs were in full bloom, and their golden flowers released their sweet fragrance.

Surrounded by the mountains on one side and a river on the other side, Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù* was located in an excellent neighbourhood.

The residence had luxuriant bamboos here and there, including in the courtyards of the dwellings. Some curative springs and streams were also found in Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù.

Since GūsūLán sect had strong moral principles, it had always produced talented cultivators, who drove away evil spirits and purified impure energy around Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù and its surroundings, so that, all year round, the all residence was wrapped with spiritual power.

However, the three teenagers standing outside Jingshi* were too anxious to admire the scenery of this fairyland.

They had returned from their Night Hunting, and were looking very messy with their clothes all covered with dust. However, their scruffy appearance was nothing compared to the anxiety that consumed them.

Unable to stay still, Lán JǐngYí was pacing up and down, and, from time to time, he would crouch down and put his hands on the back of his head.

Irritated, Jīn Líng said, “Lán JǐngYí, have you not done enough, already? My head is spinning just by watching you.”

Looking at Jīn Líng, Lán JǐngYí loudly replied, “No, I haven’t!”

Then, suddenly, it crossed his mind that he was at Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù*, and, furthermore, he was standing outside Jingshi, so he quickly shut his mouth.

After a short pause, Lán JǐngYí said, “Can’t you see that I am worried. It has been almost four hours, and HánGuāng-Jūn hasn’t woken up yet, and Wèi-qiánbèi*...”

Lán SīZhuī could not help but frown when he thought about the incident. However, in comparison with the two other teenagers, he had kept a cool head.

He took a deep breath, and said, “It happened so suddenly, and, the fact that the demon didn’t have a high level of cultivation makes the matter more difficult to understand.

“Besides, Wèi-qiánbèi said that there wasn’t any other evil spirits or formation at all. So, why HánGuāng-Jūn...”

Noticing that Lán JǐngYí and Jīn Líng were looking at him, hanging on his lips, Lán SīZhuī resumed with a reassuring tone, “I think that HánGuāng-Jūn will be fine.”

Lán JǐngYí remarked, “But it was HánGuāng-Jūn who received the blow, and he didn’t even notice it. What if the demon was actually very powerful.”

With annoyance in his tone, Jīn Líng said, “Lán SīZhuī said that he will be fine, then everything will be all right. Since you have time to worry, why not think about what we have overlooked, instead.”

“It’s easy for you to say. Why don’t you think about it yourself.” protested Lán JǐngYí.

“You were the first to get inside the lair, and even stayed in there for a long time. If you don’t want to figure it out, who else will?” retorted Jīn Líng.

Lán JǐngYí hit back, “I didn’t stayed that long. Besides, I fainted. Now that you mention it, didn’t you also get in there yourself, later on?”

“You have the nerve to say that you fainted!” exclaimed Jīn Líng.

“You didn’t faint, but you hadn’t noticed anything either.” Lán JǐngYí counter-attacked.

“Lán JǐngYí, if you are asking for a fight, just say so.” uttered Jīn Líng.

As these two were about to start fighting, Lán SīZhuī, alarmed, said, “Hold on, both of you! You are not allowed to fight here, at Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù!”

“I want to fight, too. Which one of you wants to fight with me?”

Wèi WúXiàn was standing on the threshold of Jingshi, looking at them, with his lips curved into a smile, while his eye were not smiling at all.

He was wearing black clothes, which enhanced his svelte body, looking quite handsome with the sunlight showering on him.

Wèi WúXiàn wanted to appear as gentle as possible, however, the suffocating pressure that emanated from him was almost palpable.

He carried on, “Right now, I am very annoyed, however, for your sake, I promise not to beat you to death.”

Out of fear, the three teenagers instantly kept quiet, looking like they could barely bear the pressure that was upon them.

At that instance, a gentle voice came from the room, “WúXiàn, WàngJī will be fine. Don’t scare them.” It was Lán XīChén.

His voice and words made Lán SīZhuī feel at ease. He wanted to ask something to Wèi WúXiàn, however, before he could talk, Wèi WúXiàn, said, “SīZhuī, you guys should go and get some rest.” then, he closed the door as soon as he finished talking.

The three teenagers looked at each other and thought that it would be wiser to do what they had been told, and leave the rest to Wèi WúXiàn.

As they left, Lán SīZhuī got someone to prepare a room for Jīn Líng.

After closing the door, Wèi WúXiàn hurried to the bed, sat down on the edge of the bed, took Lán WàngJī’s arm, and, once more, he began attentively to probe his pulse in the wrist.

After a short while, however, he still could not find any sign of abnormality. He heavily sighed, and put Lán WàngJī’s arm back under the duvet.

Lying comatose in bed, Lán WàngJī’s facial expression was calm, and his breathing steady. There was no sign of any curse on him, or any external injury. But why was he still unconscious?

The more Wèi WúXiàn thought about the incident the more puzzled he became. Without wandering his eyes away Lán WàngJī, he asked, “Dà-gē*, you didn’t notice anything either?”

Lán XīChén calmly replied, “There is neither a presence of evil energy nor an external injury. Moreover, though his pulse is slightly faster, his spiritual power is as strong as ever, and he has not been poisoned either. It’s more like...”

“It’s more like what?” Wèi WúXiàn hurriedly asked, looking at Lán XīChén.

“I’m not quite sure.” replied Lán XīChén, “WúXiàn, don’t you think that something is off in this room?”

Wèi WúXiàn looked at Lán XīChén with a perplexed expression in his face, “Something is off?”

Since Lán WàngJī and Wèi WúXiàn become a couple, Jingshi had been modified to suit the needs and interests of Wèi WúXiàn, such as extending the wardrobe, as well as the bookshelf for his collection of books and other knick-knacks.

There was also the hidden compartment under the floor where they put Emperor Smile*. Apart from these modifications, there was nothing unusual in the room.

However, after Lán XīChén’s remark, Wèi WúXiàn began to detect something. He sniffed the air of the room, and noticed that the sandalwood fragrance that filled the room all year round was now mixed with a hint of... alcohol?!

Moreover, it was not the smell of Emperor Smile, and, on top of that, that smell of alcohol was emanating from Lán WàngJī.

“Dà-gē, do you think that Lán Zhàn is... drunk?!” Wèi WúXiàn exclaimed rather than asking.

Lán XīChén replied, “I have seen WàngJī being drunk before, and the rhythm of his pulse now is similar to when he is drunk.”

He carried on, “WúXiàn, is it true that the monster you had encountered this time was very good at brewing wine?”

Wèi WúXiàn muttered, “Indeed, the wine brewed by that monster had a very strong smell. JǐngYí was heavily intoxicated as soon as he entered the lair. However, even if Lán Zhàn...”

He resumed after a short pause, “It is inconceivable that Lán Zhàn would faint just by smelling the wine.”

Besides, no matter what kind of wine he had drunk before, he would wake up soon after falling asleep. Could it be that the monster’s wine was out of the ordinary?

“Since it is a fact now that Lán Zhàn is drunk,” thought Wèi WúXiàn, “that will be difficult to handle it here, at Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù.

“And, when Lán Zhàn is going to wake up and still drunk, the matter will get even worst. If I had known that fact, I wouldn’t have brought him directly here.”

Noticing that Wèi WúXiàn’s facial expression had changed, Lán XīChén became a little bit concerned about Wèi WúXiàn’s emotional state.

He knew that although Wèi WúXiàn was often carefree and unruly, he was also quick-witted and knowledgeable, as well as very good at Night Hunting.

It was rare for Lán XīChén to see him so anxious. And he easily guessed what caused Wèi WúXiàn to look so upset.

“Uncle has been informed on the matter, just after you guys came back.” said Lán XīChén, “WúXiàn, why don’t you come with me to consult him. He might shed light on this matter.”

“That’s right!” thought Wèi WúXiàn, “Lán Lǎo* is highly respected and extremely knowledgeable. It’s a good idea to have his thought on this matter.”

Wèi WúXiàn then readily agreed, stood up, adjusted his clothes, tidied his hair, and there they were on their way to Lán Qǐrén’s dwelling.

Upon their arrival, a disciple went to inform Lán Qǐrén, while they were waiting outside of the house.

While thinking on how he should phrase the situation, Wèi WúXiàn adjusted his already-tidy collar once more, “I should not tell Lán Lǎo that Lán Zhàn is drunk right away. Recently, he seems to tolerate my living here. So, it’s better not to upset him.”

As he carried on thinking, the disciple came out and said, “Zéwú-Jūn and Wèi-qiánbèi, Lán Lǎo is in the sitting room. Please come in, I will lead the way.”

The two of them followed the disciple, and walked past the hall, then went all the way down the corridor, before reaching the sitting room.

Lán Qǐrén was sitting at the centre of the room with his torso in an upright posture, watching them as they entered the room.

“Sit down.” he said, and, straight to the point, he asked, “What is wrong with WàngJī?”

“There is nothing wrong with him. It’s just that something is strange.” replied Lán XīChén.

“What is strange?” asked Lán Qǐrén.

Lán XīChén then narrated the sequence of events that happened, while Lán WàngJī, Wèi WúXiàn and youngsters were out doing their Night Hunting, as well as his examination of Lán WàngJī’s pulse.

The more Wèi WúXiàn thought about it, the more he became convinced that Lán WàngJī was excessively intoxicated by the smell of the alcohol for him to lose consciousness.

Lán XīChén also came to the same conclusion that Lán WàngJī was overly drunk. However, he didn’t say anything about it, because he feared that his uncle would get angry and blame it on Wèi WúXiàn.

Lán Qǐrén then called, “Wèi Yīng.”

Wèi WúXiàn hurriedly straightened up his back, and, with a solemn expression on his face, he said, “Uncle, I am all ears.”

Lán Qǐrén said, “Since you were also there with WàngJī, don’t you have anything else to say?”

“As Dà-gē just said, that monster was good at brewing wine.” replied Wèi WúXiàn, “Moreover, its wine has been infiltrated and sold at the market.

“Whoever drinks that wine will begin to hallucinate, and be unable to control their actions. And also, they will lose their memories after being manipulated by that monster.

“Once we found out the hideout of that monster, Lán Zhàn and I went immediately there, and besieged its lair.

“Although the level of its cultivation was not high, however, the wine it brewed was very strong. It must have be aged for hundreds of years, and also, evil energy had been incorporated into the wine.

“Since there was an overwhelming smell of alcohol inside the lair, it is likely that Lán Zhàn has been... affected by the smell.”

Noting a displeased expression on Lán Qǐrén’s face, Wèi WúXiàn said inwardly, “I can’t just say: ‘Your nephew is very drunk. And the reason why he hasn’t woken up yet is because he can’t hold his liquor’.”

Wèi WúXiàn then thought again, “The smell of that wine was indeed very unusual. It seems to me that I can still smell it even right now.”

As he was about to resume his account, Wèi WúXiàn saw Lán Qǐrén looking behind him, with his eyes wide open in surprise. Then, astonished, Lán XīChén exclaimed, “WàngJī?!”

Before Wèi WúXiàn could turn around, Lán WàngJī had already sat down behind him, wrapped his arms tight around Wèi WúXiàn’s waist and leaned against his back.

The fragrance of sandalwood that usually accompanied his embrace was now replaced by the smell of the monster’s wine.

Inwardly, Wèi WúXiàn said, “No wonder why I just thought that I could smell that alcohol.”

With Lán WàngJī embracing him in front of his uncle, Wèi WúXiàn didn’t dare to cast a glance in Lán Qǐrén’s direction. Instead, he hurriedly tried to set himself free from Lán WàngJī’s cuddle.

He began, “Lán Zhàn...”

Before Wèi WúXiàn could finish his sentence, Lán WàngJī tenderly kissed his forehead then his temple, as he always did when he woke up in the morning.

Then, he buried his head behind Wèi WúXiàn’s neck, moving his lips up and down along Wèi WúXiàn’s nape in an arousing caress, while he kept on whispering his name, “Wèi Yīng.”

Wèi WúXiàn became dazed by Lán WàngJī’s kisses. He could feel the warm breath of Lán WàngJī mixed with the aroma of alcohol on the soft skin of his neck, which made him feel like his face was burning hot.

When they were only the two of them, Wèi WúXiàn would readily respond to Lán WàngJī’s invitation. However, right here and right now was out of the question. Furthermore, Lán Qǐrén was about to faint.

“What should I do now?” in panic, Wèi WúXiàn began thinking, “Is it too late to tell uncle that Lán Zhàn is drunk?

“If I have known that thing would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have kept quiet about him being drunk.

“And then again, how could I possibly guess that we would end up in this awkward situation.

“As we speak, I can feel Lán Zhàn tightening more and more his embrace around my waist. And, since he is really drunk, I’m afraid that what comes next will be even more unacceptable.”

“WàngJī, your behaviour is inappropriate. Let go of him, already!” thundered Lán Qǐrén.

Usually, it was this unruly Wèi WúXiàn who would openly flirt with his nephew, since he had such a personality.

However, ever since Wèi WúXiàn became Lán WàngJī’s partner, he had shown manners in front of him and the rest of the elders. And also, he often assisted and guided the young disciples during Night Hunting.

So, in some occasions, when Wèi WúXiàn misbehaved, Lán Qǐrén would turn a blind eye. In contrast, his nephew had always an irreproachable conduct. So, why was he acting like this now?

Seeing that his uncle got upset, and that Wèi WúXiàn’s attempt to free himself from Lán WàngJī’s arms failed, Lán XīChén hurriedly explained the situation, “Uncle, don’t get angry at him. WàngJī has been affected by the monster’s evil energy. That’s why he is behaving strangely.”

Lán Qǐrén frowned, then uttered, “He has been affected by evil energy?”

After a careful examination, Lán Qǐrén didn’t find any trace of evil energy in Lán WàngJī, instead, he detected the smell of alcohol emanating from Lán WàngJī.

His nephew was very strict, he would not drink alcohol, especially when he was out doing Night Hunting, unless...

Noting that Lán Qǐrén looked at him in a sceptical way, Wèi WúXiàn quickly said, “Uncle, Lán Zhàn didn’t drink any alcohol at all. That monster was relying on its wine to confuse people. I think the smell of its wine has the same effect. JǐngYí also passed out soon after entering the lair.”

In order to teach the youngsters, Wèi WúXiàn had set a formation around the lair to block the monster’s actions, and placed a protection talisman on each of them to avoid a surprise attack.

He had organised his training so that, in turn, each teenager would lead the way. And this Night Hunting was Lán JǐngYí’s turn to take the lead.